Examining Second-Year Retention: Student Perceptions Of Campus Resources For Sophomores, Theresa Rose Duggar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions sophomore students at one public, southeastern doctoral research university had regarding campus resources and the potential impact on their decision to remain enrolled. Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted individual semi-structured interviews to identify resources four students perceived to have played a role in their retention choices. In addition to the data collected from the student experiences, a review of social media and the student newspaper was conducted. An analysis revealed two themes that impacted students’ decisions: faculty and staff relationships and academic and co-curricular involvement. Findings align with the current literature, …

Exploring A Culturally Relevant/Responsive/Sustaining Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum: An Ethnographic Inquiry, Lucia Benzor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is an ethnographic inquiry in which I explore the third-grade social studies curriculum in my classroom, specifically using culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining pedagogy and students’ funds of knowledge (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005) and their learning interests to teach the Native American unit to promote their academic achievement in, cultural competence and critical consciousness for, the histories of the United States. It was my own miseducation about the history of the United States and its Indigenous Peoples, as well as my own lack of knowledge of my Indigenous ancestors from Mexico, that I became passionate about exploring this topic. Theoretically, …

Synthesis And Processing Of Pcl And Irdye Nanoparticles For Application In Drug Release Mechanism, Michael Adeniyi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to produce core-shell nanoparticles utilizing PCL and IRDye and investigate the nanoparticle release mechanism. Biodegradable polymer, Polycaprolactone (PCL), was electrosprayed separately with two types of IRDye, NHS and Dextran Texas red. The solution of PCL was formed by mixing PCL in a solution of 9.47ml Acetic Acid, 9.47ml Formic Acid, and 1.05ml Trifluoroethanol, following a ratio of 9:9:1. The two solutions of IRDye were prepared by mixing 2mg of the IRdye with 20ml of DMF at a rate of 0.1mg/ml.

The NHS IRDye was electrosprayed coaxially with PCL and the Dextran Texas red dye …

Promoting The Positive: A Case Study Of The Influence Of School Climate On One Turnaround School From 2016-2022, Cynthia Gunner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Schools across the country are finding various means to address the social realities that often exist in high poverty schools. School climate is one of those social realities. While there is research related to school climate in high poverty schools, there are limited case studies related to this subject. This qualitative case study examined how one elementary school was transformed by creating a positive school climate between 2016-2022. This study also explored the impact that the pandemic and subsequent school lockdown had on the newly established school climate. Findings from this study indicated that PF Elementary School established a positive …

Sense Of Belonging On A Consolidated Campus: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Student Perceptions, Amy D. Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the extent to which a subset of students who matriculated post-consolidation at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University felt they belong at their institution. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study used a survey to examine general feelings of belonging and the influencing factors for belonging while presenting individual narratives collected from semi-structured interviews for eight students’ experiences. The data collected in this study revealed that significant differences exist in critical factors of sense of belonging based on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. Additionally, data showed the importance of academic, social, and campus-community belonging …

“My Ob/Gyn Has The Worst Bedside Manner…” A Qualitative Analysis Of Patient-Provider Communication And Mental Health Outcomes Of Women In Rural Georgia, Tobi F. Oloyede

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite technological advances in medicine and public health innovations, maternal mortality in the United States remains significantly higher than in other developed countries. Specifically, Georgia ranks as the second worst place to give birth in the country. Maternal mental health conditions are common, manageable complications that can happen at any point during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the first year following delivery, with 1 in 5 women affected. Unfortunately, 75% of women who experience MMH symptoms are left untreated.

This study focuses on patient-provider communication through the birthing experiences of women who have been pregnant in Georgia to examine how their …

Factors Associated With Physical Activity Intent Among Adults With Multiple Sclerosis, Biebele Okpeahior

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Although research has highlighted the benefits of physical activity in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), they are still more likely to live an inactive lifestyle. There are limited studies that examine the relationship between physical activity and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) among the MS population. This study aimed to explore the factors that associate with physical activity intent of adults with MS utilizing the constructs of the TPB. Methods. This study utilized a cross-sectional online survey done via a social media platform. There were 326 respondents to the survey and ultimately 249 surveys that met the criteria …

Sana Sana: Unlearning Generational Expectation Through Performance, Jalen R. Ash

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is an exploration of identity as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) body traversing through the generational histories of my family and the struggle of cultural loss to our assimilation of Whiteness. Through the multi-faceted medium of performance, my work uses physical and mental spaces of self and technology to understand how the body functions as a screen. Our bodies house projections of generational expectations that have trickled down from the past into the present. These projections shape our own unique identities along with the personal experiences we gather as we move through the various spaces of …

Constructing (Un)Situated Women: Situated Knowledges In Arundhati Roy's The God Of Small Things (1997) And Balli K. Jaswal's Erotic Stories For Punjabi Widows (2017), Necole T. Deloach

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis applies Donna Haraway’s concept of “situated knowledges” to postcolonial feminist novels such as Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Balli K. Jaswal’s Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows in order to illustrate why there needs to be a new framework for analyzing literary postcolonial women. Despite the applicability of Donna Haraway’s “situated knowledges” to postcolonial feminist literary studies, there has been little research published that analyzes not just the intersection of “situated knowledges” and postcolonial feminist literature, but also the problems that occur when Western scholars approach postcolonial texts without completely acknowledging their own worldview. I argue …

Art As Ritual: The Realm Between Identities, Haley Scarboro

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Ritualism is everywhere in the world and something that everyone takes part in, whether we acknowledge it or not. Rituals can be as simple as a morning routine or as monumental as memorializing a loved one. The works in this thesis are within the covenant of southern witchcraft and how it comes together in Ritual Art. Through documentation, memory-fueled found objects, and time-based installation I consider how growing up in Georgia and being a practicing witch played a role in my identity formation. Rituals are vital to the identities themselves and the history they hold. Symbolism plays a major role …

Effects Of Occupational Tasks And Personal Protective Equipment On Static And Functional Balance Among Career Firefighters, Petra Kis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal injuries are commonly incurred on the fireground among firefighters. Most injuries are attributable to overexertion, fall, jump, slip, and trip mechanisms. These injuries may be caused by many factors, including the independent and collective effects of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and the fatigue induced by performing occupational tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PPE and fire suppression tasks on static and functional balance among firefighters. METHODS: 32 healthy male career structural firefighters (Age: 31.8±9.5 yr) volunteered for this study. Static and Functional Balance Tests (FBT) were performed in …

Maternal & Spiritual Healing In J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories, Emily Pittman Hoste

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

After World War II, spiritual and emotional healing was needed in America, despite a dependence upon materialism and conspicuous consumption for success. J.D. Salinger’s short-story cycle, Nine Stories (1953), explores what loss and trauma look like from all sides of war—mother, child, soldier, lover—all are harmed by war. Nine Stories emphasizes the need for nationwide spiritual healing and suggests that mothers offer the necessary antidote to consumeristic America. In fact, eight of Salinger’s Nine Stories employ one of three types of mothers: the self-serving and ineffectual mother; the spiritual, often surrogate maternal guide; and the ideal mother. While the ineffectual …

Comparative Analytics On Chilli Plant Disease Using Machine Learning Techniques, Sai Abhishta Roy Seelam

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This thesis concerns the detection of diseases in chilli plants using machine learning techniques. Three algorithms, viz., Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and their variants have been employed. Chilli-producing countries, India, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Spain, the United States, and Turkey. India has the world’s largest chilli production of about 49% (according to 2020). Andhra Pradesh (Guntur) is the largest market in India, where their varieties are more popular for pungency and color. This study classifies five kinds of diseases that affect the chilli, namely, leaf spot, whitefly, yellowish, healthy, and leaf curl. A …

Demographic And Clinical Characteristics Predicting Missed Clinic Visits Among Patients Living With Hiv On Antiretroviral Treatment., Osaremhen Ikhile

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Patients living with HIV (PLHIV) often face challenges that contribute to missed clinical care which can impact their health outcomes.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to examine associations of clinical and sociodemographic factors such as age at the entrance into antiretroviral treatment (ART), rurality-urbanicity, biological sex, province of residence, and viral load with PLHIV’s tendency to miss scheduled visits for ART among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Kinshasa and Haut-Katanga provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2018 and 2019.

Methods: The study participants for this quantitative study were 5338 adults …

Desistance As A Signal Of Rehabilitation: Understanding Public Perception And The Moderating Role Of Redeemability, Jasmyn Stevens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The criminal offender label is enduring and comes with significant real-world consequences. While there is a wealth of literature on offender rehabilitation, less emphasis has been placed on the varying ways that individuals define this concept. The goal of this study is to understand how variations in both punitiveness and rehabilitative definitions affect general beliefs about desistance from crime. Additionally, belief in redeemability is examined as a moderator of this relationship. Using data from an anonymous, national-level, opt-in survey collected through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform, I test three hypotheses using logistic regression. Results indicate that while increased punitiveness is …

Human–Black Bear Interactions And Public Attitudinal Changes In An Urban Ordinance Zone, Mark A. Barrett, Sarah E. Barrett, David J. Telesco, Michael A. Orlando

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–bear (Ursus spp.) interactions (HBI) commonly occur in residential areas throughout North America. Negative HBI can be alleviated by using bear-resistant garbage cans (BRC) and by securing other bear attractants (e.g., bird feeders). Since the early 2000s, human and Florida black bear (U. americanus floridanus) densities have increased substantially throughout Florida, USA, concurrently producing an increase in HBI. In central Florida, an area with high densities of humans and black bears, we surveyed 2 neighborhoods that occurred in an urban ordinance zone established in 2016 that required residents to secure anthropogenic food sources. Residents were supplied with …

A Critical Look At Wild Pig Elimination: Myths And Facts, Kim M. Pepin, Travis L. Guerrant, Jeremiah L. Psiropoulos, Jeanine T. Neskey, John M. Tomeček, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Janean L. Romines

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are abundant and widely distributed in the United States. They damage crops and pastures, predate livestock and sensitive species, impact ecosystem functions, and damage personal property. To address these issues, some states in the United States are seeking complete elimination. A frequently asked question by stakeholders is: “What portion of the population needs to be removed annually to reach elimination?” The number 70% is widely touted as the answer. There is little scientific evidence to support that this percent annual removal would be needed to achieve elimination, yet 70% has now become a standard …

The Importance Of Highlighting Wildlife Conservation Success In Urban Areas, Jonathon D. Cepek

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife professionals in urban areas face many challenges balancing wildlife conservation and managing human–wildlife conflicts. The urban public is often more influenced by news and social media of wildlife than they are by firsthand experiences. The information they hear is typically about high-density urban species in conflict situations. Therefore, it is important to find ways to engage the public through these outlets about wildlife conservation. Recently, Cleveland Metroparks (Ohio, USA) highlighted the return of extirpated wildlife species through news and social media. This offered opportunities to capture media and public attention and share information about wildlife conservation, the value of …

Emergent Trends Of Contemporary Dramatic Recontextualization: An Exploration Utilizing Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra, Cameron M. Nickel

Theses and Dissertations

The art of adaptation in the realm of drama has undergone an easily recognizable evolution in the past couple of decades, from the work of Sarah Ruhl to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. This evolution has opened doors to an altogether new form of adaptation in the theatre: dramatic recontextualization. While the two forms are built upon a foundation of shared aspects, there are certain observable and quantifiable delineations between the two artistic forms. As this trend continues to grow exponentially in the world of theatre, it is important to further research the origins and methodologies of contemporary dramatic recontextualization, both to provide …

Aerosol Synthesis Of Tungsten Bronze Particles For Nir Shielding, Hao Tu

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation emphasizes the need for efficient energy use in buildings and transportation due to global warming and the energy crisis. It suggests that improving energy efficiency can help reduce energy consumption and emissions and support sustainability. The dissertation introduces various transparent materials that can block near-infrared (NIR) radiation from solar radiation to save energy and money, and it highlights the growing market value of such products. The dissertation compares tungsten bronze with other NIR shielding materials and shows its advantages. The dissertation introduces a cheap and environmentally friendly method for continuously producing tungsten bronze particles via aerosol synthesis. Particle …

Biting Range, Effie Bowen

Theses and Dissertations

Biting Range is an essayic text about dogs, process, order, and memory. Structured as a conceptual material list, the writing addresses experiential textures and tensions gleaned from observation. Writing within and against the margins, I address the performativity of the page as its own form to be agitated.

A Constructed Memoir: The History And Heritage Of The Baloch Community In Qatar, Somaia Nahang Dorzadeh

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1960s, when my father was only thirteen years old, he took a perilous journey on a boat alone from Sistan va Baluchestan, Iran, to Qatar, in the hopes of a better life. Like many long-term residents from Balochistan, my father has lived in Qatar for decades, predating the establishment of the modern state of Qatar itself in 1971. His legal position in the country today remains subject to the Kafala system, and his residency is subject to his employment status, which must be renewed each year. In other words, permanency is never guaranteed, nor is future planning.

In …

How Stromal Interactions Play A Role In The Quest For Human Papillomavirus Specific Cancer Therapeutics, Alexis-Leigh A. Fakunmoju

Theses and Dissertations

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), like HPV16 and HPV18, are associated with malignant cancer growth within the oropharynx and cervix. Globally, HPV-induced cancers, including oropharyngeal and cervical cancers, contribute 5% to the overwhelming burden of all cancers. HPV is highly transmissible by sexual contact via micro abrasions to the mucosa. Once exposure occurs, the virus begins replication and creates an intimate relationship with the host’s cellular proteins. While most HPV is cleared quickly by our immune system, persistent infections, or infections in immune compromised individuals, are susceptible to transformation and tumor progression. Early detection measures like PAP smears and preventable measures …

Trans* Streamers On Twitch.Tv: The Intersections Of Gender And Digital Labor, R. Lawson

Theses and Dissertations

Twitch.tv is a live entertainment platform where individuals live stream events, including playing video games, playing board and tabletop games, creating art, and more. Twitch has a diverse base of streamers, but Twitch has just begun. The most common approach has focused on cisgender, heterosexual white men in the cases where it has been studied. Though these streamers should be studied in sociology, this focus leaves out the experiences of both cis women and Trans* streamers. This research proposal tries to situate the relationship of Trans* streamers with both the platform and their audience, seeing if these relationships affect their …

I'M Not Sure It Was A Hoopoe Or A Decanter, Ali Kaeini

Theses and Dissertations

“I’m not sure it was a Hoopoe or a Decanter” explores the experience of cultural displacement through the lens of an Iranian artist and immigrant. Drawing on ancient Iranian stories, Persian poetry, and cultural artifacts, my paintings and drawings reflect the uncertainty of the contemporary political and religious conditions in Iran, as well as the challenges faced by individuals forced to flee their homeland due to war, political instability, and social conditions. My work weaves references to ancient Iranian objects, Persian miniatures' structural forms and patterns, and Islamic architecture, using traditional and contemporary materials to create large, unconventional paintings. Through …

Half Of Two Hungers, Aida A. Lizalde Rios

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

half of two hungers is an extension of my sculptural practice; a weaving of the ambiguous borders of memory, trauma, disease, identity, assimilation, survival, spirituality, love, erotics, and desire. It is a psychological and sensorial landscape, where I travel consciously and subconsciously to pull shapes and material experiences out into the world of bodies and objects.

To, From: Of Time, Of Distance, Of Body And Mind, Fanxi Sun

Theses and Dissertations

This paper introduces the concepts, theories, and techniques associated with my thesis project “To, From.” The paper consists of three parts: Time as Structure, Distance as Premise, and Body and Mind. Each chapter is written in a mixture of personal narration and a general introduction to materials that are directly or implicatively relevant and important to the creation of my project. In this experimental narrative comprises film screening and live performance with multi-channel sound, I tell a story of non-story. Words and the exchange of words, movements and non- movements, objects that are being handled and subjects that are handling... …

From Silence To Forte: Developing An Inclusive Space For Persian Musicians To Flourish, Sholeh Salimi

Theses and Dissertations

Music serves as a reflection of culture and conveys various emotional and intellectual states, such as a nation's perspective, social attitudes, and historical background. However, the Iranian revolution in 1979 led to the ban of music by the new regime, limiting the output and audience for Iranian music. In addition, the emergence of Western music accessibility through technology posed challenges for traditional Persian music, and the government's restrictions on music further compounded the problem. To support and advance the preservation and dissemination of Iranian music, this study aims to explore how an interior designer can create a space that enables …

“Trans Broken Arm Syndrome”: Examining Causal Antecedents Of Gender-Related Medical Misattribution And Invasive Questioning In An Analogous Healthcare Setting Through The Lens Of Person Perception, Catherine Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Transgender individuals face particular challenges when interacting with a cisgender focused medical system. Gender-related medical misattribution and invasive questioning (GRMMIQ), colloquially known by the tongue-in-cheek named “trans broken arm syndrome,” is a form of medical discrimination wherein a healthcare provider assumes that a transgender patient’s medical complaints, regardless of origin, result from their gender identity or medical transition. Previous research has suggested that this, and other forms of identity-related discrimination both in and outside of healthcare, might be understood either using a top-down approach focused on stereotypes founded in schema, or a bottom-up approach examining perceived typicality. One additional theory, …

Evaluating The Acute Effect Of Vaping On Food Intake, Gabrielle Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Weight control is a common motive for continued cigarette smoking, and weight concerns pose a barrier to quitting. These effects are driven in part by nicotine’s ability to reduce overall appetite and ultimately body weight. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have been marketed and used for weight control, suggesting that the use of these products potentially may share similar effects as well as barriers to quitting as observed for cigarette smoking. However, little to no controlled clinical lab evidence exists supporting ENDS use for weight control. The present study tested the influence of an ENDS on acute eating behavior …